Car-coupling.



No. 643,!82. Patented Feb. I3, 1900.

0 YATES DAR COUPLING.

(Application filed May 20. 1899.)

2 Sheets-5heat I.

(No Model.)

W/ TIVESSE S A mm rs Patented Feb. 13,1901).

No. 643,l82.

- U. YATES.

CAR COUPLING. (Application filed May Q0. 1s99.

2 Sheats-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

mu. CL S S M H W THEYHDRRXQ PE Tins cp, PHOTO-HTHEL. WASHINGTON. 0 c4 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ODAVILLE YATES, OF DALLES, OREGON.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,182, dated February 13, 1900.

Application filed ll/[ag 20, 1899.

Serial No. 717,623. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ODAVILLE YATES, of Dalles, in the county of Wasco and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar- Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to car-couplings of a class employing a side latching-knuckle and a gravity-block adapted to hold the knuckle in closed adjustment, to be released by manipulation of an attached lever.

The invention has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a device of the indicated character which will greatlyimprove the car-coupling, rendering it very re liable in service and facilitating the detachment of cars provided with the improvement.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is'hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of an end' portion of a car-body and a plan view of the improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a' side View of a car-body in part and of the improved car-coupling thereon. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan View of a car-body in part and a partly-sectional plan view of the improved car-coupling, taken substantially on the broken line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. e is an enlarged side view ofthe end portion of a car-frame and of a hanging bracket thereon which is part of the car-coupling-opcrating device. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the outer end portion of an operating-rod that is part of the car-couplin g locking and releasing mechanism. Fig. 6 is a partly-sectional plan view of the coupling draw-head substantially on the line 6 6 in Fig. 12, showing parts in closed condition. Fig. 7 is a partly-sectional plan View of the coupling draw-head, showing the parts therein in opened adjustment. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the coupling draw- 'head and a main portion of the'springyoke and draw-bar therefor. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View of the draw-head substantially on the line 9 Mn Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a side view of the draw-bar in part and of an attached spring-yoke. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an end portion of the tail-piece for the coupling-knuckle, and Fig. 12 is a front end View of the coupling draw head.

In the drawings, that embody essential features of my invention, the draw-head 13 and draw-bar 14, together with an attached springsupporting yoke 15 and spring 16 therein, are all supported on the frame A of the car-body A in the usual way or by any prefer-red means, so that the spring will be adapted to cushion draft strain in service.

The'draw-bar 14 is formed integral with the draw-head and both may be cast from any suitable meta], both the draw-head and drawbar having chambers within them. The yoke 15 is in the form of a rectangular bail furnished with inwardly-turned hooks a, that engage with correspondingly-shaped transverse grooves a, formed in the-draw-bar, as shown in Fig. 10. The looped or hooked ends a are laterally introduced within the grooves a and slide between overhanging lugs a formed on the draw-bar at opposite points. A pair of keeper-pins a are inserted in alined perforations formed in the bodies of the lugs and end portions of the hooks a, which pins are held in place by a bolt 15 that passes through opposite perforations in the heads of the keeperpins'and a perforation in the draw-bar that is alined therewith. As an additional means forsecuring the yoke 15 in place, a bolt 15 is inserted in alined perforations in the limbs of the yoke and the draw-bar behind the hooks a.

The cushion-spring 16 occupies the space inclosed by the yoke 15 and is held therein by the longitudinally-disposed draft-bolt 16 that has secured engagement at its ends, respectively, with the rear portion of the drawbar lat and the rear end of the yoke, said yoke loosely engaging with the loops 16 that depend from the car-body frame A, as usual, this construction of parts appearing in Fig. 2. A buifer-plate 16 is held in position across the yoke 15 at the front end of the spring 16 by engagement with the front loop 16", which adapts the spring to cushion draft strain in the ordinary manner.

Thedraw-bar 13 is chambered for the reception of working parts, and said chamber 13 is converged toward the forward end'of the draw-head, producing a suitable throatopening 13 therein for the reception of a comm on coupling-link 13, held in place by a draftpin C, to be used only in cases of emergency or where the improved car-coupling is to be connected with a common link-and-pin carcoupling. The chamber 13 is of greater vertical dimensions than the height of the throat .13", producing a transverse shoulder 12 where the lower sides of the chamber and throat meet and also a similar offset or shoulder b where the upper walls of the throat and chamber merge together. The throat 13 is flared near its four front edges to freely admit the coupling-link B, and at the right side of said throat a wing-wall 13 is formed integrally upon the draw-head, having an upright rib 13 projected forwardly therefrom along the outer edge of the same. .On the opposite side of the draw-head the corner is recessed, as at c, to loosely receive the rib 13 of a mating draw-head when two of the improved drawheads are coupled together, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. I

A guide-horn 13 is formed upon the right side of the draw-head and is spaced a proper distance from the win g-wall 13, said horn being provided for facilitating the proper connection of the front ends of two car-couplings of the improved style when they are caused to approach each other. An indentation or open recess 0 is formed in the draw-head side wall at the rear of the wing-wall 13, said recess being thus located between the rear wall of the wing 13 and front side of the horn 13 where it merges into the right side of the draw head.

A substantially L-shaped knuckle is pivoted at the junction of its two angularly-disposed limbs within the chamber 13 at the left-hand side of the draw-head, a slot in the side thereofadmitt ingthe knuckle. As shown, the knuckle consists of two limbs 17 17, that are joined together substantially at right angles to each other, so that the pivot-bolt 17 which passes through the perforations in the top and bottom walls of the chamber 13 and through a similar perforation in the corner of the knuckle, will secure the latter in place in a manner which will permit the limb 17 to be rocked toward and from the left side of the draw-head and the tailpiece or other limb 17 to be simultaneously vibrated toward and from the shoulder b of the chamber 13 oocupied by said tailpiece. The'pivot-bolt 17 is headed on the upper end and may be held loosely in place by a cross pin inserted through a perforation in the projecting portion of its lower end, and, as shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7, a bowed plate-spring 17 held in place behind the tailpiece 17 by a pin 17, serves to press the latter forwardly. A shoulder d is formed on the knuckle where its two limbs join and at the outside of said angular junction, this shoulder being opposite and near to the shoulder at, formed on the left side wall of the draw-head behind the shoulder (1. The shoulders (Z (l are suitably spaced apart, and it will be seen that their contact will limit the outward swinging movement of the limb 17, the impinge of the tailpiece 17 against the shoulder 19 coacting to define the opening of the knuckle. An inwardly-turned hook member 6 is formed upon the forward end of the limb 17, and said hook is proportioned to adapt it to enter the recess 0' and hook upon the wing-wall13 when two similar draw-heads of the improved style are brought together, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 6. The tailpiece 17 is preferably reduced in height at the inner end, as best shown in Fig. 11, said extremity terminating in a laterally-tapered toe f, the upper side of which inclines from full height at the front to a low rear edge.

In the chamber 13 opposite the throat 13 a gravity-block 18 is held to rock nearits rear end, that is transversely perforated through a boss formed thereon and receives a rock-shaft 18, which near its ends is journaled in suitable perforations in the draw-head side walls near the rear wall of the same. At the right side of the gravity-block 18 an abutment-wall 13 is formed in the chamber 13, which wall eX- tends from the shoulder 19 to the rear wall of the chamber and is of less height than the gravity-block, that will loosely contact therewith along one side edge. The gravity-block 18 is recessed in the lower side, said recess g extending forwardly from the boss through which the rock-shaft 18 passes to a point suitably removed from the front wall of the block, and, as shown in Figs. 3, 6, '7, and 9, the toe f of the tailpiece 17 may partially enter ,this recess 9 or be entirely therein. The front wall g of the recess 9 is sloped from the inner side of the recess forwardly and laterally to conform with the sloped front wallon the toe f, and it"will be seen in Fig. 6, as indicated by dotted lines, that when the latching-limb 17 of the knuckle is in closed adjustment the inclined front side of the toefand front end wall g of the recess 9 will have loose contact. From the peculiar construction of the tailpiece-toe f and inclination of the front end wall g of the recess 9 it will be evident that draft strain sustained by the knuckle-limbs 17 17 will be transmitted to the gravity-block 1S and thence to the abutment-wall 13 as the wedging action of the toe f tends to force the gravityblock against the abutment-wall. Between the vertical front side of the tailpiece 17 and front upright wall of the chamber 13 at the left side of the throat 13 space is allowed, which is partially filled by the flat fillingplate 19, that is pivoted near the right-hand end thereof upon the tailpiece, as at h. Upon the forward end of the gravity-block 18 an upright flange t' is formed, and in said flange a perforation is made for the loose reception of one limb of the substantially U-shaped link t", the parallel limb of which has a loose engagement within a transverse sloth formed in the filling-plate 19 near its right-hand end.

ICC

The weight of the filling-plate causes it to normally rest upon a projection 2', formed on the front side of the tailpiece 17. A pusherrod 20 is held to slide longitudinally within a similarly-disposed perforation in the front wall of the chamberltl at the left side there of. The pusher-rod is encircled by a coiled spring 70, that occupies an enlargement of the perforation wherein the rod slides, and said spring at the front end contacts with a shoulder formed by the enlarged head of the pusherrod, the rear end of the spring having bearing upon the front side of the vertical keeperbolt which passes down through perforations in the top and bottom walls of the drawhead, which aline with a longitudinal slot in the pusher-rod and through which the keeperbolt also passes.

The described parts are so proportioned that the weight of the gravity-block 18 will cause its front portion to fall and rest upon the bottom of the chamber 13, the front end of said block loosely contacting the shoulder b of the chamber mentioned.

It will be seen that the pusher-rod 20 is The connection of the filling-plate 19 with the flange 2' 011 the top of the gravity-block 18 at the front end of the latter by means of the U-shaped link 2" adapts the gravityblock when rocked upwardly to rock the filling-block in a like manner, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 12, this occurring when the gravity-block is lifted at its forward end by manipulation of attachments to the ends of the rock-shaft 18, as will presently be described. If the gravity-block is lifted at the front end, this will release the engagement of the toefon the tailpiece 18 with the shoulder g of the recess 9 in the lower side of the gravity-block, and as the spring 17 will now press the toe f forwardly against the shoulder b it will be evident that this operation will locate the gravity-block at its forward end in advance of the recess 9 upon the highest portion of the toef, whereon it will rest. If the tailpiece thus supports the gravity-block, the rockable filling-plate 19 may by its gravity be returned to rest upon the projection i and fill the space between the inner end of the pusher-rod 20 and the forwardly-rocked tailpiece, as represented in Fig. 7 and also in Fig. 12 by partly-full and partly-dotted lines, so that pressure upon the outer end of the pusher-rod will push the tailpiece 18 far enough rearwardly to allow the gravity-block to fall" and interlock the shoulder g with the front edge of the toef, thus holding the hooklimb 17 of the knuckle in closed adjustment.

On the outwardly-extended ends of the rock-shaft 18 shackle-couplings 21 are secured, and to said couplings the similar tripping-rods 22 are affixed by one end of each, said rods having suflicient length to dispose their outer ends below the cross-beam A of the car-frame A and near its ends. A crankhandle an is formed on the outer extremity of each tripping-rod 22, and there is a flattened formation m near the handle of each trippingrod, this flattened portion having its parallel sides preferably formed at right angles to the handle, as represented in Fig. 5.

Upon the under side of the cross-beam A near each end thereof, a locking bracketplate 28 is transversely secured to depend therefrom, said plates each having an opening 0 in it, through which the flattened portion m of one of the tripping-rods 22 projects outwardly. The aperture 0 is preferably rectangular, and in its lower edge, near the outer corner, a concave notch 0 is formed, wherein the flattened portion m of the tripping-rod may rest and rock. Near the rear end of the aperture 0 a slot 0 having parallel sides, is formed, and it will be evident that if the flattened portion of the tripping-rod that passes through the aperture 0 is caused to enter the slot 0 said tripping-rod will be held from rotatable movement.

The connection of the tripping-rods 22 with the rock-shaft 18 is such as will permit the flattened portion m of the rods 22 to rest in the forward concave notches 0 when the shaft 18 has been rocked sufficiently by the manipulation of either of the handles m to rock the gravity-block 18 upwardly, and thus re lease the knuckle-limb 17 from hooked engagement with the draw-head of another carcoupling having the improvement. If the knuckle is in opened condition, as explained, it will be evident that the support of the tripping-rods in the concave notches 0 will permit said rods to rock and the knuckle-limb 17 of the car-coupling to be closed if the pusher-rod 20 is pressed upon by the front end of a similar car-coupling, it being understood that both car couplings have their knuckles in opened condition, so that the pusher-rods of both car-couplings will be simultaneously pressed upon for closure of the knuckles, as before explained.

Should it be desired to retain the car-couplings of two cars locked against accident-a1 release, the handles m are to be rocked so as to insure the descent of the gravity-blocks 18, and then the flattened portions m of the tripping-rods 22 are slid into the slots 0 of the bracket-plates 23, which will securely hold the knuckles in coupled condition until the rods 22 are released from the slots 0 It is claimed for-this improved car-coupling that it will reliably couple with a mating coupling, that it affords means for the safe release of coupled connection from either side of a car, that it may be set to couple by impact, and be locked from release when this is desired, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination withadraw-head having a chamber, a gravity-block rockable therein, and a rock-shaft extending through the sides of the draw-head and fixed in the gravity-block at its rear end, of an L-shaped knuckle pivoted at its angle to rock its tailpiece in the chamber of the draw-head, a filling-plate rockable on the front side of the tailpiece, and a spring-pressed pusher-rod loosely held to reciprocate in the draw-head front wall and adapted to close the knuckle only when it presses upon the filling-plate.

2. The combination with a draw-head having a chamber, a guide-horn on one side thereof, alocking-recess in a win g-wall spaced from the guide-horn, a gravity-block in the draw-head,andarock-shaftextendingthrough the sides of the draw-head and fixed in the gravity-block at the rear end thereof, of an L-shaped knuckle having its angular corner pivoted within the chamber of the draw-head, a hook member formed on the front end of the outer limb of the knuckle being adapted to latch into the recessed wing-wall of a similar draw-head when guided thereto by the horn, and means for rocking the gravity-block to lock or release the knuckle.

3. The combination with a draw-head having a chamber, a gravity-block rockable therein, a rock-shaft extending through the sides of the draw-head and fixed in the rear end of the gravity-block, and means to rock the rockable shaft for the elevation or depression of the gravity-block, of an L-shaped knuckle pivoted in the chamber of the drawhead, a filling-plate pivoted to rock upward on the front side of the tailpiece of the knuckle within the draw-head, a link in substantially U shape loosely engagingits limbs respectively with a flange on the gravityblock and a slot in the fillin -plate, and a spring-pressed pusher-rod loosely held to reciprocate in the front wall of the draw-head, and adapted to close the knuckle only when it impinges upon the filling-plate.

4. In. a car-coupling of the described construction, the combination with the upwardlyrockable gravity-block, which is adapted respectively to lock or release a laterally-swinging knuckle when said block is in depressed or elevated adjustment, of a tripping-rod having one end shackled upon a rock-shaft that forms the pivot of the gravity-block, and a bracket-plate depending from the end of a car-frame whereon the draw-head is held and having an opening with two notches, respectively adapted to hold the outer end of the tripping-rod free to rock, and to lock said rod from rocking movement.

5. The combination with a chambered drawhead, an L-shaped knuckle pivoted therein so that the tailpiece thereof may swing forwardly, and a spring adapted to press the tailpiece against a transverse shoulderin the bottom wall of the chamber, of a gravityblock pivoted to rock toward and from said shoulder in the chamber, a toe on the tailpiece having a sloped front edge, the gravityblock having an elongated recessin its lower face terminating at the forward end in a sloped Wall, against which the sloped side of the toe will hear when thegravity-block is adjusted to receive the toe within the recess of said gravity-block.

6. The combination with a draw-head, and a draw-bar thereon, having two angular slots extended across said draw-bar cutting into the top and bottom sides thereof adjacent to overhanging lugs integral with the draw-bar, of an elongated yoke having two parallel limbs, and hook members on free ends thereof adapted to slide laterally into the hook-shaped slots below the overhanging lugs, two headed keeper-pins passing into alined perforations in the lugs and ends of the yoke, and a vertical bolt extended through perforations of the headed pins and also through the drawbar to hold the yoke in place on the draw-bar.

OD AVILLE YATES.

Witnesses:

T. A. I-IUDsoN, E. K. RUSSELL. 

